Sheet-metal grinding and polishing machine.



PATENTED AUG. 6, 1907.

\ J. E. LEWIS. v

SHEET METAL GRINDING ANDVPOLISHING MACHINE.

APPLIOATIOH FILED MAB. B. 1906.

5 SHEETS-$HEET 1.

INyENTQR wELcu/zb A? ATTO H NEYS No. 862,341. PATENTED AUG. 6, 1907.

v J.B.LBWI&

SHEET METAL GRINDING AND POLISHING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 8. 1905.'

5 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

INVENTOR Jl lLea/ia kid i j fi g ATTORNEYS WITNES: I

No.'862,341. PATENTED AUG; 6, 1907.

J. E. LEWIS.

SHEET METAL GRINDING AND POLISHING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAB. B. 1905.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 3. F |=I". E

No. 862,341. PATENTED AUG. 6, 1907. I J. E. LEWIS.

SHEET METAL GRINDING AND POLISHING MACHINE.

APILIOATION FILED MAE. 8. 1905.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

PATENTED AUG. 6, 1907.

, J. E. LEWIS. SHEE'I METAL GRINDING AND POLISHING MAGHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAB. 8. 1906.

' 5 SHEETS-SHEET 5- WITNBSSE Z INVENTOR 7 vJZEELeun/IS 2 ATTQHNEYS givena rich glossy finish, though it may be used with.

UNITED. STATES PATENT onsicnj JOHN E. LEWIS, OF BRACKENRIDGE,PENNSYLVANlA, ASS IGNOR TO HARRY E. SHELDON, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

SEEET-METAL enmnmennn'romsnme mcm'nn.

' Specification of Letters Patent.

nmates Aug. 6, 1907.

Application filed Harsh 8,1905. Serial No. 249mm.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN LEW-rs, a citizen of the United States,residing at Breckenridge, in the county of Allegheny and State ofPennsylvania, have invent ed or discovered new and useful Improvementsin Metal Sheet or Plate Grinding and Polishing Machines, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My invention relates to machines for grinding and polishing sheets orplates of metal and in its most complex form, comprises mechanism for'continuously treating a series of sheets or plates, so that while onesheet or plate is being discharged at one side of the mechanism anotheris being entered atthe other and a number of intermediate sheets orplates are undergoing treatment commencing with coarse grinding andending with delicate buffing; a

I have found that if one of each pair of rolls be of a yielding nature,it will yield sufficiently to permit the dented, thickened or roughenedportions to be depressed so as not to injure the sheets. I prefer topass each sheet a number of times between each pair of rolls, and tomove it sidewise while passing through the rolls. The sheet movesprogressively from one pair of rolls to others of gradually finermaterial until it receives the desired surface finish.

The design of my machine is to prepare sheet metal plates for subsequenttreatment by which they are other purposes in view. I

My invention will be readily understood by referring to the accompanyingsheets of drawing, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation thereof, aportion being broken away; Fig. 2, a plan thereof; Fig. 3, an endelevation thereof; Fig. 4, a cross-section on the line 44 of Fig. 1;Fig. 5, a plan of the reversing mechanism for the feed table; Fig. 6, afragmentary view showing a portion of the feeding table with a sheetclamp thereon; Fig. 7, a plan of Fig. 6; Fig. 8, an end "View thereof;Fig. 9, the means for adjusting the rolls; Fig. 10,2 sectional detail ofa sheet clamp with frame or table supported on the legs 2 or otherwise.

Slidable in the slots 3 in the table are the rack-bars 4, whose rearends are secured to the cross-piece or carrier 5 reaching from one sideof the table to the other.

The edges of the slots 3 are shown provided with 5' tongues which fitingrooves in the sides of the rack bars, whereby the bars are supportedand guided in their movements. a

The cross-piece 5 is hollow and contains the screw 6, having at one endthe ratchet wheel 7, situated be- 6. tween a pair of arms or plates 8which are journaled' on the screw shaft. A pawl 9 is pi voted betweenthe plates and is pressed against the ratchet wheel I by the spring 10.I have shown the wheel and'pawl constructed to drive the former fromleft to right, but the 68 arrangement might beire'versed. The free endsof the plates or arms 8 have pivoted between them the roller 11, whichrides on the wavy track 10 secured to one edge of the table. As thecarrier moves along the table, the arms 8 will vibrate up and down andon 7@ each upward movement the screw will be rotated and the clamps andsheets fed laterally along the table simultaneously with theirreciprocation with the carrier. 1 v

In Figs. 3, 6, 7, and 8, Lshow the roller llarranged to ride downbeneath the inclined track or guide 12 at the front of the table, whenthe carrier 5 is almost at the limit of its return movement, which istoward the right on'Figs, 1 and 2. The spring or lower guide 13 raisesthe'plates 8 to their normal position as the 8@ cross'piece begins aforward'niovement, as shown on Fig. 6. 1

The cross-piece or carrier 5 is moved backward and forward on the table1 by the rack-bars 4, which mesh with the pinions 14 on the shaft 15below the table. 8% The shaft 15 has secured thereto the spur-gears 16meshing with the pinions 17 on the shaft 18, which also carries the drumor pulleys 19. The latter are driven by the straight belt 20 and thecrossed belt 21 running on the pulleys 22 and 23, loose'on the shaft 24.Between 9% the two pulleys is the slidable clutch member 25 slidable onand rotatable with the shaft 24. The member 25 can by means of theshifter 26 be made to engage and drive either pulley in a manner wellknown. The

' shaft 24, which is beneath the table, driven always in one directionby the wheel 27; but by shifting the clutch member 25 by means of ashifter, such as 26, the rack-bars 4 and the cross-piece 5 may be madeto travel in the desired direction.

The cross-piece 5 has a slot 28 running along the front, 10a in whichslot travel the two arms or ends 29 of the clamp. I 30. The cross-bar28' has an upwardly opening slot or notch 31 in which the upper wall 32of the slot 28 fits to retain the clamp in the cross-piece and guide itthereon.

The cross-bar 28. rests on the lower wall 33 of the slot. 10s The rearside of the clamp carries a spring actuated pin 34 which normallyprojects beyond the frame of the clamp into the spiral groove or threadof the screw6.

Journaled in the ends 29 of the clamp is the eccentric shaft 35 whichlies beneath the rear arms of the clamping levers 36. working on thefulcrum rod 37. The rod 37 is adjustable by reason of'the slottedbearings 38 andthe setscrews 39 which pass through the ends 29 intoengagement with the rod, .The eccentric 35 is operated by the handle 40.The metal sheets 41 to betreated in my machine are clamped between thefixed jaws 42 on the ends 29 and the movable jaws 43 which are theforward arms of the levers 36. Each end ofthe hollow cross-piece orhousing 5 is provided with a door 44',

whichmay be raised on its hinge 45 by the handle 46. The doors havedownwardly extending flanges 47 which, when the doors are closed, lie inline withthe wall 32 and in the slots 31 of the clamps 30:, I

Extending transversely above the table 1 is a beam or support 48, to wich the rearwardly projecting brackets 49 are secured by the bolts 50which pass through the beam and vertical slots 51 in the brackets,whereby the brackets may be vertically adjusted and securely'fastened.The upper ends of the brackets have horizontal lugs 52 having holesfitting on the vertical threaded I bolts 53 secured in the beam. Eachlug 52 is between two nuts 54 on the bolt corresponding to the lug. By

adjusting the nuts on the bolts the brackets can be still further heldimmovable. The dotted lines on Fig.9, show a bracket adjusted to a lowerposition than that shown in full lines..

The forward ends of the brackets form journal bearings for the rolls 55,56, 57, and 58. In order that the rolls'ma y be quickly removed andreplaced, I hinge the top-of the journal box to the bracket and lock thetwo parts of the box together by the bolts 59. By simply removing thebolts, the boxes can be opened and the rolls changed without anyexpensive or annoying delays. I i I The'rolls 55 to 58 are arranged inan end .to end transverse line over the table and each roll is driven bya pulley 60 over which runs ajbelt 61, driven by a pulley 62 on-theshaft 63,'mounted in the standards 64 on the table 1. The shaft 63isdriven by the pulley 65 secured thereto. I

Mounted on brackets 66 on the transverse beam 67 beneath the table 1 arethe rolls 68, 69, 70 and 71, which form pairs respectively with therolls 55, 56, 57, and 58.

, The brackets66 are mounted on the beam 67 precisely as the brackets59arcmounted on the'beain 48, except that the brackets 66 extenddownwardly so that the lugs 52 and the bolts 53 are below the beam ,67instead of above it as in case of the upper brackets.

The rolls 68'to 71 are driven by separate belts 72 in ,manner similar tothat by which the rolls 55 to 58 are driven, that is, by pulleys 73 onthe rolls shafts and pulleys'74 on the shaft 75 supported in the hangers76 below the table. The shaft 75, as well as the pulleys27 and 62,"will,be driven by suitable motor power geared thereto in a manner readilysupplied by any person acquainted with mechanics.

'The'rolls are preferably constructed as followsz-The rolls 55 and 56are preferably composd of alternate disks of emery or. other abradantand spacers strung and clamped in the roll shaft; the former beingpreferably of coarser; the rolls may, however, be made of solid emery orother abradant, but I prefer the disk arrangement as they will rack intodepressions in'the sheet, and grind 65 and polish them, which timecylindrical rolls could not do. For some work the latter rolls might bedesirable. The rolls .may be made solid and with corrugations, ifdesired; The roll 57 is made of disks of'cloth, belt or other fabric orsoft material, strung and clamped on the 70 roll shaft and filled withemery which has been soaked into the same. The roll 58 is similarlyconstructed but is preferably filled with finer emery than the roll 57or is not filled with an-abradant. The lower rolls are preferablyallmade of cloth, or other comparatively soft and 75 yielding materialinto which the upper rolls may press portions thereof which normally lieabove the upper surface of the sheets. 1 preferably construct the lowerrolls of muslin strung and clamped on the roll shafts, so

that the surface of the roll is very soft and yielding, so 80 much sothat when not rotating, it would not support a sheet so as to hold itagainst its companion roll. When the lower rolls are revolving at alight speed, their centrifugal force will lift the sheets and supportthem yieldingly against the companion roll. When an uneven,v 85.

thickened, buckled or elevated portion of the sheets is engaged by theharder rolls, the sheets will yield or bend into one or more of thedisks of the muslin or yielding rolls.

Supported beneath the table 1 is the rock shaft 77,

to which is secured the operating handle 78 and the arms 79. To thelatter are pivotally connected the rods 80, which lie beneath the tableand have their forward ends bent soas' to extend through the slots 81 ator near the outer ends of the rolls 55 and68. When the handle lieshorizontally, as in Fig. 1 or in dotted lines in Fig. 12, the forwardends of the rods 81 lie below the raised portion 82, which begins on thetable preferably slightly on front line of the rolls and taper out tothe flat table surface at the rear thereof, as shown in Fig. 12. When Ithe handle is thrown into vertical position as shown in full lines onFig. 12, the forward ends of the rods ride up on the inclines 83 andproject in front of the line of the rolls. A clamp and plate beingassembled with the clamp slightly in front-0f the line of therolls, therods,

when pushed forward, will slide beneath the sheet and beneath the rod 37and eccentric 35, and support the clamp, the forward ends of the rods 80abutting the rear side of the forward cross-piece. When the carrier 5engages the clamp the tapered rear portions thereof will 1 10 "entertheslot between the walls and raise the cover 44,

which, when the wall 47 reaches the slot 31, drops into the same,whereby the carrier and clamp are connected automatically. If the pin 34should engage one of the threads of the screw 6, it would be pushed backthereby 1 1 5 until the groove of the thread arrivedunder the pin, whenthe latter would automatically seat itself between the screw threads. Ifthe guide 12 be used instead of the track 10; the operation will be thesame as that detailed except that the clamped sheets move laterally nearthe close of their retreating movement, as is clear without furtherexplanation.

The operation is as follows: The pairs of rolls willbe adjusted, and therolls started in the direction indicated by the arrows alongside thebelts 61 and 72.

The rolls will revolve at high speed, so that their surfaces will movemuch faster than the sheets which pass between them. The first clamp 30,with a sheet, is

connected to carrier as described above. The crosshead or carrier 5continues to move forward and backward, and the clamped sheet of courseaccompanies it and at the same time moves laterally by reason of the 5revolution of the'screw 6, for the distance of about two inches, more orless at each reciprocation. When the I sheet has been fed forwardly asfar as possible, the feed is reversed and the sheet. dragged backthrough the rolls, and then again moved forward and backward until thesheet has passed through allthe rolls and laterally beyond the final setof rolls. The sheet then is removed from the clamp and the clamp removedfrom the carrier to be attached to another sheet and connected again tothe carrier. As soon as the first sheet has moved laterally enough, a.second sheet is attached to a clamp and fed through the machine at theside of the first. Successive sheets are likewise passed into and fedthrough the machine, so that finally a finished sheet and a clamp willbe removed from one side of the machine, and a rough sheet and a clampwill be placed .thereinat the other side, while ,the whole intermediatespace will be occupied by a row of clamps and parallel sheets. At eachreciprocation of the carrienall the sheets in the clamps will belikewise reciprocated, 2 some undergoing rough grinding, some finer.grinding, some still finer grinding or coarse buffing, and others finebuffing." The process is continuous and thewo rk is progressive from oneside of each sheet to the other. The forward ends of the clamping jawsare made thin and tapering so that the sheets may be fed as far aspossible through the rolls. 1

If it be desired to grind and polish both sides of the sheets this maybeaccomplishedb'y constructing the rolls as shown on Fig. 15, where theroll 84 is shown with the portion 85 thereof composed of yieldingmaterial, as described and another portion 86 composed of emery or otherabradant constructed of disks-or made solid. The roll 87 whichcooperates with the roll 84 is pomposed also of the described portions85 and 96. o

The rolls may be reciprocated endwise during their rotation by themechanism shown in Fig. 14, wherein 92 represents a pulley connected tothe shaft 91 and driven in any suitable manner. The shaft 91 has there-'on the worm 90, which drives theworm wheel 89, having connected theretothe pitman 88. The latter is connected to one end of thedrivinglever-87, whose other end is connected to the shaft of the roll55. The .lever 87/ is also connected to the lever 93 by the link 94, thelever 93 being connected to the shaft of the roll 56. The lever 93 isconnected to the lever 96hy the link 95, 'the' lever 96 being connectedto the shaft of the roll 57. Similarly the other rolls to the right mayi be connected indirectly to the driving lever 87. When the pulley 92 isrotated all the rolls will-be re- 'ciprocated longitudinally in anevident manner.

advanced laterally more or less than two' iriches'after or during, eachbackward and forward movement.

Having describedmy invention, I 'claim 1.- In amachine for surfacingmetal sheets, a table to support the sheets, a surfacing roll, means forpassing the sheets in contact with the roll, and means independent ofthe roll and the table for causing relative movement of the sheets andthe roll transversely of the line of feed during their passagetransversely of the rolls.

2. Ida machine for surfacing metal sheets, a table to support the sheetsa surfacing roll, means for passing the sheets in contact with the, rolland transversely thereof, and means independent of the roll and thetable for moving the sheets longitudinally of the rolls duringtheirpassage transversely of the rolls.

the rolls will at a later to and fro movement of the sheets act onportions of the sheets laterally of those acted onat a previous to andfro movement.

4. In a machine for surfacing metal sheets, a pair of surfacing rolls, acarrier in front of said rolls, means for moving the same toward andfrom the rolls, a sheet holder,

means for securing the holder to the carrier, and means 6. In a machinefor surfacing metal sheets, i1 series of pairs of surfacing rolls, acarrier parallel with the rolls, means for moving the carrier towardand'from the rolls, a series of sheet holders connected to said carrier,and means for simultaneously moving said sheet holders laterally.

-7. In a'machine for surfacing metal sheets, a table to support thesheets a pair of surfacing rolls,.a. sheet holder,

means for causing relative movement of the rolls and holder whereby therolls act on the sheet, and means for causing a relative movement of'theholder and rolls at an angle to the first movement.

8. In a machine for surfacing metal sheets, a pair of surfacing rolls,a. housing in front thereof, having a slot, a sheet holder removablyheld in said holder and slidable in said slot, and means for moving thehousing toward and from said rolls.

9. In a machine for surfacing metal sheets, a pair of surfacing rolls,a'housing in front thereof, having a. horizontal slot therein,asheetholder resting on the lower wall of the slot and having an openingin the upper side in which is seated the upper wall of said slot, andmeans for moving the housing toward and from the rolls.-

10. In a machine for surfacing metal sheets, a pair of surfacing rolls,a housing in front thereof, having a horizontal slot therein, a sheetholder resting on the lower wall of the slot and having an opening inthe upper side in which is seated the upper wall of said slot, means formoving the holder along the slot, and means for moving the housingtoward and from the rolls.

11. In a machine for surfacing metal sheets, a sheet clamp having a pairof jaws, means for closing the jaws on the sheet,.mea'.ns for movingthe. clamp in two directions one at an angle to the other, and a pair ofsurfacing rolls between which the sheet passes during said movements ofsaid clamp. Signed at Pittsburg, this 27th day of February, 1905.

JOHN E. Lewis.

-Witnesses:

Suzanna S. Bns'r'i'r, F. N. Banana.

